WHO International certificate of vaccination

By TravM Dr, Last modified on January 3rd, 2018

If you plan to visit to yellow fever risk area i.e. in Africa and Latin America, you’re required to get the Yellow Fever vaccine. It is the only mandatory vaccine required by World Health Organization’s International Health Regulation (WHO-IHR 2005). And according to the IHR, passenger need to carry the International certificate of vaccination to show at the port of entry. Generally, this certificate will be printed in yellow and its detail and/or layout may be different according to each vaccination center.

However, all valid certificate have to comply with WHO regulation for example;

1.The certificate must be completed in English or French; an additional language may be used.

2. Certificates must be signed in the hand of the clinician, who shall be a medical practitioner or other authorized health worker. The certificate must also bear the official stamp of the administering centre; however, this shall not be an accepted substitute for the signature.

3. Any amendment of this certificate, or erasure, or failure to complete any part of it, may render it invalid.

4. Certificates are individual and shall in no circumstances be used collectively. Separate certificates shall be issued for children.

5. The certificate is valid for “life ofperson vaccinated”, beginning 10 days after the date of vaccination. In the event of revaccination within such period of 10 years, it is valid from the date of revaccination. The medical professional completing the certificate must record validity dates (certificate valid from…….until……..) in the column provided on the certificate.

Here is the standard international certificate of vaccination from WHO which we use in our clinic. Anytime, when you get yellow fever vaccine anywhere. Please have a look and double check your vaccine certificate. Please do not miss the following points since they are important and might make your certificate invalid.

1. Check your name and your passport number. Both must be correct according to your passport.

2. All detail about yellow fever vaccination in this page must be completed. 3. Signature of the clinician and official stamp of the vaccination clinic are required.

4. This certificate must not contain any amendments/erasures. Please ask the clinic staff to replace the new one for you if there are some mistakes.

5. Finally, if everything is ok. Please keep it with you. And have a good trip!